Overhead door construction



OVERHEAD DOOR CONS TRUCT ION Filed Jan. 23; 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 W W- E? 7- IH'SZ'ENTEE.

E M zmzzmw ail awa Em @m z m Sept. 14, 1937. w NORBERG 2,093,019

OVERHEAD DOOR CONSTRUGT ION Filed Jan. 25, 1937 :5 Sheets-Sheet 2 ,mln i um lp INVERTER.

Arm's.

Patented Sept. 14, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Rowe Manufacturing Company,

Galesburg,

11]., a corporation of Illinois Application January 23, 1937, Serial No. 122,051

12 Claims.

secure one extremity of the torsion spring in a fixed position, the other extremity being movable whereby to enable the tension of the spring to be increased or decreased. Such conventional devices present numerous disadvantages and inconveniences which can be overcome by employing the invention hereinafter set forth. It is therefore one of the important objects of the present invention to provide a torsion spring door counterbalancing mechanism which may be so coupled with a shiftable door panel as to insure increased efl'lciency in operation, lower cost of manufacture, as well as other advantages over the aforementioned conventional door operating devices.

More specifically, this invention contemplates a door controlling device particularly adaptable for door panels of the overhead type wherein a balanced counterbalancing effect of a torsion spring may be obtained. That is to say, a torsion spring counterbalancing means which will exert the same or equal counterbalancing force at each side or edge of the door panels.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a door operating mechanism, as set forth above, wherein the number as well as the size of the counterbalancing springs is reduced to a minimum. and to this end the invention contemplates a single coiled spring of the torsional type which is adapted to exert a balanced pull upon the opposite edges of the door panels.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide door operating mechanism of the type mentioned above, which, will require, for installation, minimum head and side room; above and along the sides of a door opening.

A further object of the present invention is to avoid the necessity of employing counterbalancing means such as differential sheaves, block and tackle arrangements, etc., which obviously are necessary when extension type counterbalancing springs are used, and to this end my invention contemplates an extremely simple yet positively acting torsion spring arrangement, which is so designed as to materially reduce frictional resist ance heretofore experienced in the use of conventional door operating mechanisms of the type referred toabove.

Another object of the present invention is to enable the use, in combination with a single counterbalancing torsion spring, of means positioned at one end of the spring for receiving and guiding the flexible cables connected with opposite corners of the door panels, and to this end I propose to arrange said torsion spring in substantial parallelism with the upper horizontal overhead door track members.

Still another object of the present invention is to avoid the necessity of using conventional stepup drums usually employed to correlate the movement of the door with the tension of the counterbalancing springs, and to this end I propose to so'arrange the above mentioned torsion spring as to enable the use of a cylindrical type drum means.

The present invention also contemplates a torfollowing detailed description when considered in I connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 discloses an inside view of an overhead door equipped with counterbalancing means construoted in accordance with the teachings of the present invention, the door panels thereof being shown in their vertical door closing position;

Figure 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view taker; substantially along the line 2-2 of Figure Figure 3 is an enlarged detail view of the torsion spring counterbalancing mechanism contemplated by the present invention;

Figure 4 is an enlarged view of the right extremity of the torsion spring mechanism and associated drums, said drumsbeing shown in section in order to more clearly illustrate the man'- ner in which they are associated with the'shaft supporting said drums and spring;

Figure 5 is a vertical transverse sectional view of the drum which is connected directly with one end of the torsion spring, saidview being taken substantially along the line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Figure 6 is a vertical transverse sectional view of the drum, which rotates as a unit with the tially along the line 66 of Figure 4;

Figure 7 is an enlarged detail sectional view of the lower corner of the lowermost door panel to more clearly illustrate the manner in which the flexible member or cable is connected to the lower end of the door, said view being taken substantially along the line 1-1 of Figure 1; 4

Figure 8 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 88 of Figure 3 to more clearly illustrate the manner in which the torsion spring and drum mechanisms are secured to the upper section of the track;

Figure 9 is a view similar to. Figure 3 disclosing a modified torsion spring and drum arrangement;

Figure 10 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the drum, said view being taken substantially along the line Ill-48 of Figure 9;

Figure 11 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line Illl of Figure 9 disclosing the manner in. which one extremity of the torsion spring is coupled with a horizontally slidable bearing; and

Figure 12 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view of the double groove drum to more clearly illustrate the manner in which two actuating cables may be operatively coupled with the same drum mechanism.

Referring now to the drawings more in detail wherein like numerals have been employed to designate similar parts throughout the various figures, it will be seen that for purposes of illustration I have shown an embodiment of the invention (hereinafter described) in association with a garage door of the overhead type. The door member is indicated generally by the numeral l4, said door being made up of a plurality of door panels I6, I8, 20, and 22 coupled together by suitable hinges 24. The outermost hinges support suitable guide members or rollers 26, which are adapted to shift within a guiding means or track designated generally by the numeral 28, which track comprises a vertical track section 38 and a horizontal track section 32, which are joined together by a curved track section 34. The door members, track, etc., may be of any conventional design which enables free movement of the door l4 between vertical closed position and overhead open position. It will be noted that when the door occupies its normal vertical closed position, the front portions of the panels are closed against the door ffa mb 36, and, when the door occupies its overhead-horizontal position, it lies immediately beneath the ceiling 38.

The present invention particularly concerns control mechanism designated generally by the numeral 40, whereby counterbalancing-forces acting upon opposite sides or edges of the door l4 are equalized so as to facilitate the ease with which the door may be manually or automatically operated. This control mechanism 40 includes a torsion counterbalancing spring 42, which encircles and is positioned coaxially with a shaft 44, which is disposed in substantial parallelism with the upper or horizontal track section 32 (Figure 3).

The shaft 44 at its left extremity (Figure 3) is supported within a bearing 46 carried by a bracket 48. This bracket 48 is secured to a horizontal angle iron 50, which in turn is secured to a companion angle iron 52 suitably secured as by means of bolts 54 to the track 32 (Figure 8). The opposite extremity of the shaft 44 is carried in a similar bearing 56 supported by a bracket 58, said bracket being mounted upon the upper surface of the angle iron 52 (Figure 3).

Particular attention is directed to the fact that the torsion spring 42 is a full floating spring. That is to say, the opposite extremities of the spring 42 are supported in spaced relation with respect to the shaft 44 by rotatable elements. These rotatable elements comprise a collar 60 which is secured as a. unit to the shaft 44 through the agency of a pin 62 and. a drum or pulley member 64 which floats upon the shaft 44. Thus the drum member or pulley 64 may move axially with respect to the shaft 44 when the spring 42 is tensioned, and said drum member is also relatively rotatable with respect to the shaft 44. In Figure 1 3 I have shown in dotted lines the position occupied by the drum 64 when the spring 42 has been relaxed.

A second drum member or pulley 66 is secured as a unit to the shaft 44 as by means of a pin 68 (Figure 4). One end of a flexible member or cable 10 is secured by means of a screw 12 to the periphery of the drum 66, the opposite extremity of said cable being secured to the lower corner of the lowermost panel 22. This lower extremity of the cable 10 is secured to a. bracket I4 (Figures 1 and 7) which is mounted upon the outer surface of the door member 22. A pin 16 serves to couple the lower free extremity of the cable I8 to the bracket 14. It will be apparent from the foregoing description that, when the door l4 moves downwardly, the flexible element or cable I causes the pulley 66 to experience rotation in a counterclockwise direction, as indicated by the directional arrow in Figure 6. Therefore, the shaft 44 and collar 60 experience the same direction of rotation, and this tends to impart a tension winding to the spring 42 at the left extremity thereof.

The drum or pulley member 64 also carries a flexible lifting member or cable 18, one extremity of said cable being secured to the periphery of the drum 64 by means of a screw 80 (Figure From the screw 80 the cable 18 passes around the drum 64 and then extends horizontally across and immediately above the door opening to a guide pulley 82. From this guide pulley the cable 18 extends downwardly and is coupled with the lower corner of the door panel 22 by a bracket (not shown) similar to the bracket I4 previously described. From the foregoing it will be apparent that as the door l4 experiences a downward movement, the cable 18 will cause the drum 64 to rotate in a clockwise direction, as indicated by the directional arrow in Figure 5, which is opposite to the direction of rotation simultaneously experienced by the drum 66. Rotation of the drum 64, as indicated in Figure 5, causes the right extremity of the torsion spring 42 to experience tension winding.

Thus, as the door l4 shifts downwardly, the drum 66 and the left extremity of the torsion spring 42 rotate in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed from the right of Figure 3 and the drum 64, together with the right extremity of the torsion spring 42, rotate in a clockwise direction, as viewed from the right of Figure 3. Hence, the torsion spring is equally tensioned from opposite extremities and consequently, when the door reachesthe limit of its downward movement, the counterbalancing forces exerted by the spring at each side of the door are equal. This equalizing or balancing of the force exerted by the torsion spring 42 precludes canting of the door. The significance of these balanced forces acting at opposite edges or sides of the door will be more readily appreciated when consideration is given to the action which takes place upon the opening of the door. Thus, after the door has been closed and equalized tension established in the spring 42, the door may be opened or shifted upwardly with a minimum amount of effort and with the minimum probability of sticking. This is due to the fact that the equalized tensioning of the spring automatically sets up or establishes equal pulling forces acting through the cables 10 and I8 at opposite sides of the door. Hence, there are no forces acting upon the door which would tend to make the door cant and-consequently increase frictional resistance.

As previously pointed out, the torsion spring 42 is truly a full floating spring in the sense that both free extremities thereof are supported in spaced relation with respect to the shaft 44 and both of said extremities simultaneously experience rotation. This is to be clearly distinguished from conventional types of torsion springs which .may be correctly designated as partial floating springs, because in those springs only one extremity of the spring is rotated, the opposite extremity being secured against rotation. The present invention contemplates a torsion spring such as the spring 42, wherein one-half of the forces acting to tension the spring are imparted from one extremity and the other half of the rotative forces tending to subject the spring to tension, act upon the opposite extremity. It will be noted that contemporaneously with the axial sliding of the drum 64 resulting from the tensioning or untensioning of the spring 42, relative rotation between the drum 64 and the shaft 44 takes place, which materially decreases frictional resistance between said drum and shaft. Thus the particular arrangement and disposition of the springand associated drums 64 and 66 increase operating efiiciency by materially decreasing frictional resistance.

It should also be noted that the spring and drum arrangement, as disclosed herein, avoids the necessity of employing counterbalancing means, in addition to the counterbalancing spring. I refer particularly'to such constructions wherein differential or block and tackle counterbalancing means must be employed to correlate the movement of the door with the tension of the counterbalancing spring. In order to make possible the use of extension type springsnamely coil springs adapted to be actually expanded and contracted, so as to exert balanced forces on opposite sides of the door, some auxiliary counterbalancing means, such as the above mentioned block and tackle arrangement must be gnployed to ac count for the differential in springand doormovements. By employing my improved torsion spring arrangement, the necessity of using such auxiliary counterbalancing means is completely obviated. By having the torsion spring 42 disposed in substantial parallelism with the upper door panel, I am able to reduce to a minimum the by the numeral 84, shown in operative association with a torsion spring 86. The torsion spring 86 differs from the previously described torsion spring 42 in that only one extremity, namely, the left extremity, of the spring 86 is rotatable. This spring 86 encircles a shaft 88 and is coupled at the left extremity to a collar 90 which rotates as a unit with the shaft 88. The opposite extremity of the torsion spring 86 is connected with a collar 92 which is slidable longitudinally of the shaft 88 but is non-rotatable. The collar 92 has a laterally extending arm 94, the free end 96 of which is adapted to slide longitudinally of the shaft 88 within a guide 98.

The drum mechanism 84 is of a doublegroove construction. In other words, the peripheral grooves or helical ways provided in the drum 84 are designed to receive two flexible lifting elements or cables I00 and I02, one of said cables being connected to the lower extremity of one side of the door I4 and the extremity of the other cable being similarly coupled with the lower extremity of the opposite side of the door I4. Thus the drum mechanism 4, like the combined drum members 64--66 accommodates both flexible lifting elements as distinguished from conventional door operating mechanisms wherein two drums are provided, each being positioned on opposite sides of the 'door opening.- The drum mechanism 84 is secured to the shaft 88 by any suitable means, such as a pin I04, Figure 9. The drum mechanism 84, like the drum mechanism 6466 is co-axial with the'torsion spring and is located at one extremity thereof. By employing this drum mechanism 84, the necessity of using two torsion springs is eliminated because the single or unitary drum mechanism 84 ,accommodates both lifting cables and is controlled through the action of the single spring 86.

In both of the door structures disclosed in Figures 1 to 8 inclusive and Figures 9 to 12 inclusive, a suitable retriever pulley I06 and I08 respectively is employed, as clearly shown in Figures 3 and 9. When the door I4 suddenly approaches its full open position, the cables are moved into operative association with the retriever pulleys so as to maintain said pulleys in their proper operative relationship on the drum mechanism and also to cause the door to be properly positioned when it finally comes to rest.

In Figure 3 I have indicated by dotted lines the manner in which the control mechanism 40 may be positioned above the horizontal track section 32 when installation requirements necessi- In Figure 10 I have indicated the manner in which one extremity of each of the cables I00 and I02 may be peripherally secured to the drum 84 by means of screws H0 and H2 respectively.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the present invention presents a very practical, durable, and simple overhead door construc-- tion wherein vertical movements of the door panels are materially expedited. The balanced or equalized counter-balancing forces resulting from the full floating disposition of the torsional spring 42 makes for ease of operation, economy in construction and compactness in installation.

,The constituent parts are relatively few in number and may be installed in garages and struc'-' tures of like nature wherein limited head room and side room is available. Positioning the torsional spring in substantial parallelism with and in the vicinity of the upper horizontal track section together with the positioning of the drum mechanism co-axially of the spring at one extremity thereof, and enabling said drum mechanism to accommodate the cables connected with both sides of the door member, presents a door controlling mechanism of improved practical design.

While the invention has been described in connection with certain illustrated embodiments, it should be apparent that said invention is not limited thereto, but contemplates other changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

- Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent: '0

1. In combination with a shiftable door and means for guiding said door between closed vertical position and open overhead position, door controlling means including torsion spring means, means for connecting one extremity of said torsion spring means with one side of said door, and means independent of said first connecting means for connecting the opposite end of said torsion spring means with the other side of said door, said connecting means being so constructed and arranged as to effect opposite rotation of said. spring ends as an incident to the movement of the door and thereby equalize counterbalancing forces acting on opposite sides of said door.

2. In combination with a shiftable door and I means for guiding said door between closed vertical position and open overhead position, door controlling means including torsion spring means, means including flexible means and guiding means therefor for connecting one extremity of said torsion spring means with one side of said door, and means including flexible means and guiding means independent of said first flexible means for connecting the opposite end of said torsion spring means with the other side of said door, said flexible and guiding means being so constructed and arranged as to effect opposite rotation of said spring ends as an incident to the movement of the door and thereby'equalize counterbalancing forces acting on opposite sides of said door.

3. In combination with a shiftable door and means for guiding said door between closed vertical position and open overhead position, door controlling means including torsion spring means,

' flexible lifting means for connecting one extremity of said torsion spring means with one side of said door, flexible lifting means independent of said first flexible lifting means for connecting the opposite end of said torsion spring means with the other side of said door, said flexible lifting means being so constructed and arranged as to effect opposite rotation of said spring ends as an incident to the movement of the door and thereby equalize counterbalancing forces acting on opposite sides of said door, and drum means for guiding both of said flexible lifting means.

4. In combination with a shiftable door and means for guiding said door'between closed vertical position and open overhead position, door controlling means including torsion spring means, flexible lifting means for connecting one extremity of said torsion spring means with one side of said door, flexible lifting means independent of said first flexible lifting means for connecting the opposite end of said torsion spring means with the other side of said door, said flexible lifting means being so constructed and arranged as to effect opposite rotation of said spring ends as an incident to the movement of the door and thereby equalize counterbalancing forces acting on opposite sides of said door, and drum means positioned co-axially of said torsion spring means for guiding said flexible lifting means..

5. In combination with a shiftable door and means for guiding said door between closed vertical position and open overhead position, door controlling means including torsion spring means, flexible lifting means for connecting one extremity of said torsion spring means with one side of said door, flexible lifting means independent of said first flexible lifting means for connecting the opposite end of said torsion spring means with the other side of said door, said flexible lifting means being so constructed and arranged as to effect opposite rotation of said spring ends as an incident to the movement of the door and thereby equalize counterbalancing forces acting on opposite sides of said door, and drum means including drum members simultaneously rotatable in opposite directions as an incident to the movement of said flexible lifting means.

6. In combination with a shiftable door and means for guiding said door between closed vertical position and open overhead position, door controlling means including torsion spring means, a drum member connected to one end of said spring, a second drum member, means extending axially of said torsion spring for connecting said second drum member with the opposite end of said torsion spring, flexible lifting means connecting one of said drum members with one side of said door, and flexible lifting means connecting the other drum member with the opposite side of said door, movement of said door serving tocause simultaneous rotation of said drum members and complementary spring extremities in opposite directions.

7. In combination with a shiftable door and means for guiding said door between closed vertical position and open overhead position, door controlling means comprising a single torsion spring, means for connecting one extremity of said torsion spring means with one side of said door, and means independent of said first connecting means for connecting the opposite end of said torsion spring means with the other side of said door, said connecting means being so constructed and arranged as to effect opposite rotation of said spring ends as an incident to the movement of the door and thereby equalize counterbalancing forces acting on opposite sides of said door.

8. An overhead door construction including a shiftable door, track structure for guiding said door between vertical closed position and open overhead position, said track structure including vertical and horizontal portions, torsion spring means having the axis thereof positioned in substantial parallelism with and in the vicinity of the horizontal track structure, means for connecting one extremity of said torsion spring means with one side of said door, and means independent of said first connecting means for connecting the opposite end of said torsion spring means with the other side of said door, said connecting means being so constructed and arranged to to effect opposite rotation of said spring extremities as an incident to the movement of the door and thereby equalize counterbalancing forces acting on opposite sides of said door.

9. In combination with a shift door and means for guiding said door between closed vertical position and open overhead position, door controlling means including torsion spring means, means for connecting one extremity of said torsion spring means with one side of said door, and 5 means for connecting the opposite end of said torsion spring means with the other side of said door, said connecting means being so disposed as to effect simultaneous rotation in opposite directions of said spring extremities as an incident to the movement of the door and thereby equalizle counterbalancing forces acting on opposite sides of said door, one extremity of said torsion spring means being shiftable axially as an incident to the tensioning and untensioning of said spring means.

10. In combination with a shiftable door and )means for guiding said door between closed vertical position and open overhead position, door controlling means including torsion spring means, flexible lifting means for connecting one extremity of said torsion spring means with one side of said door, flexible lifting means for connecting the opposite end of said torsion spring means with the other side of said door, said flexible lifting means being so disposed as to effect thesimultaneous rotation in opposite directions of said spring extremities as an incident to the movement of the .door to equalize counterbalancing forces acting on opposite sides of said door,

0 rotary spring driving means interposed between one of said flexible lifting means and one extremity of said spring means, and rotary driving means interposed between the other flexible lifting means and the opposite extremity of said spring means, one of said rotary driving means including a rotary member .shiftable axially as an incident to the tensioning and untensioning of said spring means.

11. In combination with a shiftable door and site sides of said door, and drum means for guid- 1 ing both of said flexible lifting means, said drum means including a drum member secured against axial displacement with respect to said torsion spring means and a drum member adapted to shift axially as an incident to the tensioning and 5 untensioning of said torsion spring means.

12. In combination with a shiftable door and.

means forgulding said door between closed vertical position and open overhead position, door controlling means including an elongated torsion go spring means comprising a coiled, spring memher, a shaft extending within said; spring member, a drum member connected to one extremity of said spring member, said drum member being mounted upon said shaft and adapted for rela- 25 tive axial and rotative movement with respect to said shaft, a second drum memberrotatable asa I unit with said shaft, means connecting the opposite extremity of said spring member with said said shaft, flexible door lifting means interposed between one of said drum members and one side of the door, and flexible lifting means interposed between the other drum member and the opposite sideof said door, whereby simultaneous rotation in opposite directions will be imparted to said drum members in response to movement experienced by said door.

WILLIAM A. NORBERG. 

